Edinburgh has a fascinating history dating back thousands of years, with evidence of a settlement in the Cramond area from around 8500 BC.
The city’s name comes from ‘Eidyn’, the name for the region in Cumbric – the Brittonic language spoken in the Northern England and Lowland Scotland in the Middle Ages.
At this time a stronghold on Castle Rock was called Din Eidyn, literally meaning ‘the hillfort of Eidyn’. As the Scots language evolved, the Din was replaced by ‘burh’, creating Edinburgh.
And there are plenty more clues to the Capital’s complex past in the names of the streets, roads, and lanes that make up the city, all of which come from a multitude of languages, backgrounds and people.
The name Stockbridge itself dates back to at least the first half of the 18th century and comes from the Scots ‘stock brig’, referring to a wooden footbridge that presumably crossed the Water of Leith.
Here are the stories behind 10 of the road names in the neighbourhood and the surrounding areas.
9. Fettes Avenue
Fettes Avenue was laid out when Fettes College was being completed in 1870. It, and the school, are named after Lord Provost William Fettes who owned the land on which it was built, as well as leaving £166,000 in his will to found the college. Photo: Google Maps
10. Malta Terrace
Malta Terrace is named after Malta House, the residence of Donald Cameron dating from around 1800, that used to stand nearby and which was named after the island of Malta. Photo: Google Maps